SOMATIC EXPERIENCING
Some trauma lives in the body, not the story. This is a gentle, body-based way to help it settle.
WHY PEOPLE COME IN
THE APPROACH
Somatic experiencing works with the body, not just the thinking mind. When we go through something overwhelming, survival energy can get held in the nervous system with nowhere to go.
Somatic experiencing helps that energy move and complete, slowly and safely, so your body can find its way back to a calmer baseline.
It is a body-oriented approach to trauma with a growing research base. It works gently, in small steps, rather than by pushing you back into the worst of it.
IN THE ROOM
Sessions are slow, and led by your body's signals. Your counsellor helps you notice what is happening inside: a tightness, a shift in your breath, an urge to move.
You track these sensations in small doses, with plenty of pauses, so your system never gets flooded. You do not have to retell the details of what happened. Much of the work is about sensation, not story.
When something releases, it often feels like a breath, a settling, a small letting go. You stay in the room, in the present, and in control the whole way through.
HONEST FIT
OUR TRAUMA APPROACHES
YOUR COUNSELLOR
You will work with John-Michael Parra, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). He works entirely online by secure video from Powell River, so you can meet from anywhere in British Columbia. His approach is paced and body-based, and he also draws on approaches like EMDR and Observed and Experiential Integration.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
COMMON QUESTIONS
It is a body-based approach to trauma. Instead of focusing only on talking, it works with the physical sensations that trauma leaves behind, helping your nervous system settle. It is gentle, gradual, and does not require you to relive what happened.
No. Much of the work happens through sensation rather than story. You can benefit without describing the details of the event, and you always control how much you share and how fast you go.
If your difficulties relate to a motor vehicle accident, counselling is an approved ICBC benefit and we are an approved provider. For trauma that is not accident-related, sessions are private pay, and we can walk you through the details on a free call.
Talk therapy works mainly with thoughts and words. Somatic work adds attention to what is happening in your body, which can reach things that stay stuck below language. Many people find the two work well together.
Yes. Somatic experiencing at Lighthouse is offered entirely online, by secure video across British Columbia. Body-based work adapts well to video, and your counsellor guides you to notice sensations from wherever you feel most comfortable.
Tell us a little about what's going on — a sentence is plenty. Robert replies within one business day, usually the same day, to set up your free 15-minute call or simply answer your questions.